The highway linking this Himachal Pradesh tourist resort with Leh in Jammu and Kashmir was partially reopened for traffic on Wednesday after remaining shut for over six months owing to heavy snow, an official said.

"The snow between Manali and Leh has been almost cleared and it's now fit for plying of small vehicles," an official of the 38 Task Force of the General Reserve Engineering Force (GREF) told IANS here.

GREF is a wing of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) that maintains crucial highways in the country.

The official said the highway would reopen for tourist and heavy vehicles within a week or so.